Jan 25 Kaitlyn's Writing Tips: How to Create an Intentional Resume

Of all the things you would think could be intentional, I bet you didn’t think resumes would be on that list.

What, precisely, is so intentional about resumes, you may wonder. All a resume involves is copying and pasting generic phrases, with some power words sprinkled on top, right?

Not so.

I am a firm believer that you can inject intentionality into really any part of your life, and your resume is just another one of those avenues. When I work with clients on their resumes, I am not really surprised by the stiff words – a lot of it comes from this institutional knowledge that we have to make our resumes work for potential employers, rather than making them work for us.

And there’s good reason. You have a small window to make an impression with your resume, and you might be competing with hundreds of other candidates. But think about it: if everyone is following the same formula of masking themselves up with appeal to an employer, why wouldn’t you want to do everything you can to stand out?

That’s where intentionality comes in.

Intentionality in a resume means, for me, understanding how your values have played a role in the professional person you are and are becoming. And the way you write your resume can be a beautiful mirror of those values.

More and more, employers are making it clear that that want to hire people. On the radio a few months ago, I was listening to a tech executive say he’d rather hire a candidate with a liberal arts background and a clear sense of communication and compassion, rather than a computer scientist who doesn’t know how to communicate. Hard skills are trainable; values are not.

In a new online course I’ve developed, I’m showing you exactly how you can insert your values into your resume, first starting with doing a thorough recap of all the skills and talents you possess. You’ll learn how to itemize your resume, how to uncover your values, and how to make declarative narratives about who are are, professionally. And, of course, you’ll learn how to tie it all together.

It’s not a one-time-and-done deal – to get better at your resumes you do have to practice.